Upperclassmen

By: Mason Dehmlow

Have you ever had an experience with an upperclassmen? They are some amazing people. CMCS has the best upperclassmen in the world.  Even though they are older, it is amazing to see the amount of respect and care that they have for us.

When I was in Junior High, we took a day and went to Unity Church for a mini retreat. We combined with the Junior High from CCS. Some of the upperclassmen from both schools came to be small group leaders. I was in Christine’s group. We played lots of games and then came the serious time. We were all given a piece of paper and we had to write something we wanted to change about ourselves to make a difference in life. We all came together and there was a microphone and we could go and share what we had written on our paper with everyone else. Michel went up and shared what he had wrote and then he said that if any of us ever needed to talk, he would be there. Then Christine got up. She shared and then she said that she was there for us if we needed to talk. I started to cry. That meant the world to me. The thought of a “big kid” caring about me was unbelievable.  When it was all over, Christine came and asked if anyone wanted prayer. Nobody did but I just walked up and hugged her. That was a start to any outstanding relationship. Christine and I have had some great conversations. She has told me been so encouraging and such a great role model in my life. We have shared problems and prayer requests with each other. We are in art together and that is my favorite class. Christine is like the big sister I never had.

Basketball season is here. During one of our first practices, the JV and V team practiced together. We did drills so we all did them at the same time. We were going back and forth from one end of the gym to the other. One of the drills I was terrible at so I was the last one to the end of the court. The older guys saw that I was having a hard time so they started to encourage me. That made me feel so much better.

When the high school band went to Dort for the band festival, we went out to pizza ranch for supper. I got my cup and went to go find a place to sit. I asked someone if I could sit by them but they said the seat was taken. I turned around to look for a place to sit but they were all taken. Then Lexi, who was in the booth behind me, asked me if I wanted to sit with her, Kourtney, and Tarra. So we ate and just talked about life. It was a great time that I will never forget because of the older girls that were so nice to me.

I don’t know about you but I love our upperclassmen. Sometimes they can be pretty annoying. But hey, so can us younger grades. I thank the Lord for the relationships I have with them and I am very thankful that they are there for me if I ever need them. So, what do you think about upperclassmen? Have you ever had any great experiences with them?

Grandpa Denny - Celebration Essay

By: Mason Dehmlow

Grandpa Denny is my mom’s dad and he is married to my grandma Vicky. Grandpa Denny has taught me a countless number of things. That is why he is so special to me.

I can remember going to my grandparents house when I was as old as three or four years old. I remember riding on the fender of the tractor. We would go feed the horses a bail of hay, make hay in the field, or go water the horses. I can imagine all the times when I was little and I’d be riding on the tractor with Grandpa and we would go down into the ditch and I would always be afraid of falling off or rolling the tractor, but Grandpa Denny always had his hand on me so I wouldn’t fall.  Sometimes we would be in the hay field with my aunt and uncle bailing hay and when they were done, I would get to ride on the very top of the hay rack. One time we were coming out of the ditch from the hay field and we were pulling the full hay rack. When we came up out of the ditch, the hay bails fell off, thankfully I wasn’t on top.

Grandpa has taught me so many things. He taught me how to drive. I started when I was about eleven or twelve years old. I started driving with the same beat up old Dodge Dakota Sport that my mom started driving with. To this day whenever I go to their house, I still drive that pickup.

He taught me how to change a tire. I always did for some reason enjoy changing tires for Grandpa Denny.

One weekend on Christmas break, I went to Grandma and Grandpa’s by my self. We spent about three days turning an old horse drawn cart into a new one. Grandpa and I tore apart the old one but kept the chassis. We took measurements of the old parts and made brand new ones. It was a really cool cart. When we were measuring, Grandpa Denny taught me that if you spread your hand, the length from the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb is eight inches. I have used that trick so many times and when I do, I always think of him.

I remember one conversation I had with my Grandpa about when my mom was younger. He told me about when they went to the lake and they would be out there so long that they would run out of gas. My mom and her sisters would have to swim the boat back to shore. Grandpa didn’t care that he used all the gas, he wanted to have a good time with his family. That is still true today, the amounts of money he and grandma spend on us is crazy.

Grandpa also taught me how to ride. I even used to have my own horse that I would ride all the time when I went to his house. He taught me how to put the saddle on and put the bit in. I still remember those things even though it was a long time ago. I’m so thankful for grandpa.

I always love it when Grandpa Denny tells stories of the old days. He tells how it used to be and then compares it to how it is now. He’s so smart.

I love His personality. His is one of the toughest people I know. Yet, he is one of the kindest and most gentle and loving person ever. He shows it in many ways. He will yell at us if we are going to do something bad, but that’s only because he cares.

When I grow up, I want to be just like Grandpa Denny.

      American vs. Spanish Bullfighters

Mason Dehmlow

When people think of bullfighting, most people think Spanish bullfighters. What most people know is that there is another kind of bullfighter. The American rodeo bullfighter. The main difference between the two is that American bullfighters save lives and Spanish bull fighters kill bulls.

American and Spanish bullfighting are two very different sports. Spanish bullfighting is a sport in which an adult male enters an arena with a bull. The fighters has a big red or pink sheet to attract the bull. The bull charges at the sheet runs through it. When the bull charges, the bullfighter stabs a spear into the spine of the bull. He does this until the bull dies. The is is a very bloody event that people pay money to go and watch.

American bullfighting is very different. An American bullfighting is a very dangerous and testing job. An American bullfighter is in an arena at a rodeo. During the event of bull riding during the rodeo, the bullfighters’ main job is to read the actions of the rider and the bull. They have to be smart and be able to make split-second decisions. When the rider falls off the bull, the bullfighters rush in. Since American bullfighters work in teams of two to three guys, they each have a separate job. The main purpose of the bullfighters is to protect the cowboy that fell off the bull. So one fighter will rush in and literally put himself between the bull and the cowboy. Sometimes the fighters have to actually grab the bull by his horns to protect the cowboy. Sometimes the spurs that the cowboys wear get caught in the rope that is used as a handle for the cowboy to hold while riding the bull. In this situation, two of the bullfighter will try and keep the bull bucking in a straight line while the other bullfighter puts himself on the bull and attempts to free up the spur that has gotten stuck.

Spanish bull fighters also wear very different clothes. The Spanish bullfighters wear clothes that show great wealth and power. The pants, jacket, and shirt are usually gold and red in color. They are sometimes also gold and black or gold and pink.

American bullfighters usually wear some kind of shirt, a cowboy hat, and pants with a pair of cutoff, baggy jeans with overalls. Pro bullfighters have a specific pair of shirts and pants for bullfighting. Some bullfighters also wear face paint. Only rarely will you see a bullfighter with face paint though. If you saw an American bullfighter you would probably think that he looks pretty silly. But, there is nothing silly about their job.

When an American bullfighter steps into the arena, he knows that his life could end at any second. They lay down their life for cowboys, that is their job and they are very willing to give themselves for others.

Spanish and American bullfighting are very dangerous events. Spanish bullfighters don’t wear any type of protective gear. The American bullfighters wear protective vests, shorts, and sometimes even shinguards.

Spanish and American bullfighting are outstanding events. American bullfighters save countless lives, Spanish bullfighters just kill bulls.